40 £14, selected Co-ops OF THE BEST BOXING DAY AND HOGMANAY WINES
BOXING DAY is the day for mopping up leftovers from the previous day’s legendary feast while trying to spend a little less time in the kitchen and a little more time on the sofa. There is no need to open up your most prized wines today, so save any particularly special bottles and concentrate on my collection of smooth sparklers, lighter whites and fruitier reds to give your palate a rest. BOXING DAY SPARKLING 2018 Tesco finest 1531 Blanquette de Limoux, Languedoc, France
£9.50, Tesco KEEN, lively, effervescent and uplifting, this blend of Mauzac, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay from the warmer climes of the South of France has a certain amount of silkiness that is guaranteed to soothe your senses.
NV Roederer Estate Quartet Brut, Anderson Valley, California
£23.70, hedonism.co.uk; £25, thewinesociety.com; £29.99, reduced to £22.99 on a Mix Six, Majestic; £25.99, waitrosecellar.com MADE by the famous Louis Roederer Champagne house in California, this is a lovely, slightly richer style of sparkler with a biscuity note over an apple and pear-themed palate.
2012 Les Pionniers, Vintage, Champagne, France
£27, reduced to £25 until Jan 1, Co-op LES PIONNIERS is always a successful Champagne in non-vintage form, but this vintage release takes the brand to a new level. With 48 months of ageing, there is some ostentatiousness here which lets the drinker know they have chosen well.
NV Ridgeview, Cavendish Brut, England
£30, M&S MADE predominantly from red grapes Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, this is a wine with a magical scent and a rich mid-palate and its extra dimension of fruit is tempered with lovely, refreshing acidity. One of England’s top sparklers, Cavendish is classy enough not to require food to prop it up, such is the confidence that this wine exudes.
BOXING DAY WHITES
2020 Classics No.5 Workhorse Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch, South Africa £8, M&S MADE by the most famous Chenin Blanc specialist in South Africa, Ken Forrester, this is a budgetpriced white with a grand presence. It is carefully balanced with pineapple chunk freshness and an even finish.
2019 Puiattino, Pinot Grigio, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
£10, Tesco PUIATTINO is a muchrespected brand and this Pinot Grigio is spot on with its green apple skin and pear juice freshness and neat, prim finish. A perfect aperitif, this is a wine to have sitting in the fridge, ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.
2019 Pouilly-Fumé, Les Chaumes, Jean-Jacques Bardin, Loire, France
POUILLY-FUMé is one of the most famous styles of Sauvignon Blanc and this sophisticated version shows sleek, citrus fruit with a dry finish. There are none of the tropical fruit notes associated with New Zealand Sauvignon nor is there the overt grassiness of many South African or Chilean examples.
2018 Louis Latour, Grand Ardèche Chardonnay, France
£13.99, reduced to £11.99 on a Mix Six until Dec 21 and then £9.99 each from Dec 22-31, Majestic; £10.99, bcfw.co.uk; £11.50. noblegreenwines.co.uk LATOUR is a famous Burgundy winery but it makes another style of Chardonnay in the Ardèche. Using less expensive and riper grapes, the wines under this label echo their Burgundian cousins but they tend to drink younger and cost less.
2019 Gewurztraminer, Cave de Turckheim, Alsace, France
£10.99, reduced to £8.99 until Jan 3, Waitrose THIS is one of the most aromatic of all white wines in this collection, loading lychee, rose petal and fruit salad notes onto your palate. A brilliant, lush, exotic white which goes with spicy curries, pâtés, soft cheeses and rich quiche, this is also a great accompaniment to Coronation turkey.
2019 Muscadet Sèvre & Maine Sur Lie, Le Grand Fief, Domaine de la Chauvinière, Loire, France
£10.65, reduced to £9.40 each by the case, hhandc.co.uk I RARELY get this excited about Muscadet, but I truly believe that this is the most thrilling example of this world-famous style of dry white wine that I have tasted in many, many years. Effortlessly elegant and ever so enjoyable, you will be amazed at the beauty on display in this glass.